O.C.'s death row: 2 killers from the early '80s

Feb. 7, 2011

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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William Charles Payton, left unknown date, right June 2007, raped and killed Pamela Montgomery a 21-year-old Garden Grove woman, in May 1980 in the boarding house where he used to live. Montgomery, the wife of a military man overseas, was attacked after the boarding house landlady let Payton spend the night. Payton returned that favor by also slashing the landlady and her young son. Witnesses testified at his trial that Payton also viciously attacked another woman before Montgomery. His case has been affirmed by the California Supreme Court. CA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS; TEXT BY LARRY WELBORN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER,

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John Galen Davenport. left unknown date, right June 2007, tortured, raped and murdered Gayle Ann Lingle, a Tustin woman, whose body was found abandoned in a vacant field in Irvine in1980. A pathologist testified that Davenport, a motorcyclist who was known as �'Honda Dave,Ó impaled his victim on a wooden stake while she was still alive. The trial prosecutor was current Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. His case has been affirmed by the California Supreme Court. REGISTER FILE PHOTO; CA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS; TEXT BY LARRY WELBORN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER,

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John Galen Davenport takes witness stand in 1989. He tortured, raped and murdered Gayle Ann Lingle, a Tustin woman, whose body was found abandoned in a vacant field in Irvine in 1980. TEXT BY LARRY WELBORN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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During the sentencing William Charles Payton appeared unshaken, at times smiling, and looking over at his family reported photographer Mark Boster. He added, he would temporary lapse into moments of brief prayer... and at the end of the sentence was read he waved, and smiled at his friends and family just before he left the courtroom on his trip to San Quetin. FILE: MARK BOSTER, TEXT BY LARRY WELBORN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The new lethal injection facility at San Quentin State Prison.San Quentin State Prison has a gas chamber but executions have been carried about by lethal injection since 1996. ERIC RISBERG, AP

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There are 13 guard towers at San Quentin Prison to watch over its 5,300 inmates. The number 13 is no coincidence. The prison was designed to send a message to prisoners that they are unlucky to be there. There are 13 steps leading to tiers and 13 bars across each cell. MINDY SCHAUER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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San Quentin State Prison has California's only death row for male inmates. ERIC RISBERG, AP

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San Quentin State Prison is the oldest prison in the state. ERIC RISBERG, AP

William Charles Payton, left unknown date, right June 2007, raped and killed Pamela Montgomery a 21-year-old Garden Grove woman, in May 1980 in the boarding house where he used to live. Montgomery, the wife of a military man overseas, was attacked after the boarding house landlady let Payton spend the night. Payton returned that favor by also slashing the landlady and her young son. Witnesses testified at his trial that Payton also viciously attacked another woman before Montgomery. His case has been affirmed by the California Supreme Court. CA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS; TEXT BY LARRY WELBORN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER,

The Orange County Register is publishing summaries of the 58 killers sentenced to death by Orange County judges, two per day during weekdays, from the oldest case to the newest. Here are Nos. 1 and 2:

1981

John Galen Davenport tortured, raped and murdered Gayle Ann Lingle, a Tustin woman, whose body was found abandoned in a vacant field in Irvine in 1980. A pathologist testified that Davenport, a motorcyclist who was known as "Honda Dave," impaled his victim on a wooden stake while she was still alive. The trial prosecutor was Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. Davenport's case has been affirmed by the California Supreme Court.

1982

William Charles Payton raped and killed Pamela Montgomery, a 21-year-old Garden Grove woman, in May 1980, in the boarding house where he used to live. Montgomery, the wife of a military man overseas, was attacked after the boarding house landlady let Payton spend the night. Payton returned that favor by also slashing the landlady and her young son. Witnesses testified at his trial that Payton also viciously attacked another woman before Montgomery. His case has been affirmed by the California Supreme Court.

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